Mobile sweeper



Sept. 15, 1936.

G. B. RANDOLPH MOBILE SWEEPER Sept- G. B. RANDOLPH 2,054,713

I I MOBILE SWEEPER Filed Feb. 951935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 15,1936 I UNITED STATES PAT OFFICE ,MOBILE ..SWEEP,ER

George Y15331115011111. San Antonio, Tex.

Application February i9, 1935, Serial No. 5,802

"'2 Claims. '(Cl. '15-'79) My invention relates to .a mobile sweeperdesigned primarily :for the sweeping of lawns, but it is to be:understood that it may he used in any connection for which it :may hefound applicable, and the invention hasfor its primary object :toprovide, in a :manner as hereinafter set forth, a sweeper .of the classreferred to for thoroughly :cleaning .a lawn of leaves and cut :grassand for collecting the .sweepingsiduring its travel.

Furtherobjects of theinvention are to :provide, in a manner ashereinafter set forth, .a sweeper for the purpose set forth which iscomparatively simple in its construction :and arrangement,

strong, durable, compact, thoroughly efficient in itsvuse, convenientlyrepaired when occasion :re

quires, readily assembled and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture.

To the above ends essentially, and to :others which-may hereinafterappear, 'theinvention connists of such parts and such'con'ibination ofparts which fall within "the scope of the invention as claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure -l is a fragmentary View in elevation,

"looking towards one side of thesweeper,

Figure "2 is a fragmentary view in top plan,

Figure 3 is aflongitudinal sectionalview-of the sweeper,

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure '1 looking towards the other sideof the machine, and

Figure 5 is a detailedview in vertical section.

The sweeper includes a collecting receptacle 5 formed of an imperforatebottom =5 provided at its rear end with a transversely extendingupstanding reinforcing bar 1 or substantially inangular contour in crosssection, an imperforate back wall 8 which constitutes a doo-r to permitac cess to "the rear end of the receptacle, a pair of foram'inous sidewalls 9, -I 0 of grea -terflength than bottom :6, formed withstraight'rear-edges l l and reduced substantially ovoid forward portions1 2;

and a foraminous top wall l3 extending from the wall 8 and terminatingslightly below the top of the front edge of portions l2. The forward endof wall I3 is spaced from the forward edge of bottom 6. The forwardportion of wall I3 is curved to conform to the curvature of the forwardportions of the top of the side walls. The wall l3, intermediate itsends, is provided with 50 a transversely disposed rectangular opening l4having its edges reinforced throughout as at I5. The opening l4 permitsaccess to receptacle 5 from the top thereof for a purpose to be referredto. The arrangement of the bottom 6 and walls 55 9, l0, l3 relatively toeach other provides the lower part iof the forward end of receptacle 6with an opening =15 for ,a purpose to be referred to. The is for-medatits bottom with inwardly extending means .41 which is hinged, as at18,430 theztopof bar 1. The wall 8,, at its top, has se- 5 cuned 3102135inner face asupport 43 which, when the wall ,8 is closed, extendsbetween the side walls ii, 2', and :supports the rear :end of top wallL3.

Fixedly secured to the side walls ,9, ll! of re- 10 ceptacle .5 is a,pair of vertically disposed parallel lfiat narrow-bars 20 extendingupwardly from bottom 6 and of a height less than that of the receptacle.-.On.e of these vbars isshown in Figure-5, f-I-heupper en-d ofeach of:said bars and ,15 2 each side wall of the receptacle is formed with anopening. The opening in the bar is indicated at 24 and that in the ,sidewall at 22 (Figure 5). The openings 2| in 'the bars register with theopenings -22 in "the side walls. "20

Extending :through the registeringopenings 2 I 22 is a rotatable axle-23 proziecting outwardly from the side walls of receptacle 6. The axlecarriesza pairpf supporting or drive-whee1s-24J5 and Ya pair of sprocketwheels 26 is arranged 25 outwardly with respect to said wheels. The bars20 provide hearings for-axle 23.. Loosely mounted on and suitablyconnected to the axle v.23 are the :side members 26' .of .a handleelement not completely shown. v .30

Loosely ,mounted .on ,the axle 23 between the wheel ,24 and .a .bar 20is .a pair of forwardly extending downwardly inclined arms 21 28. The:arm .2] is of less length than .the arm 2.8 and has its outer endarranged rearwardly of the forward 35 :end of receptacle 5. The arm 28is of a length to extend beyond the forward end of the receptacle f5 andhas its outer end arranged above the outer end of arm 21. The side wall'9 has secured to its outer face, in proximity to its for- 40 award en-dan inclined brace bar 29 to which the arm'28 is anchored, as at '30. Thearm 21 is resiliently coupled to arm 28 "by a coiled spring 3|, thepurpose of which will be hereinafter referred to. Loosely mounted on theaxle 23 between the drive wheel 25 and the other bar 20 is a pair offorwardly extending downwardly inclined arms 32, 33. The arm 32 is ofless length than the arm 33 and has its outer end arranged rearwardly ofthe forward end of receptacle 5. The arm 33 is of a length to extendbeyond the forward end of the receptacle 5 and has its outer endarranged above the outer end of arm 32. The side wall Ill has secured toits outer face, in proximity to its forward end, an inclined brace bar34 to which "tends into the opening l6.

the arm 33 is anchored, as at 35. The arm 32 is resiliently coupled toarm 33 by a coiled spring 36 and the purpose of which will be presentlyreferred to.

The arms 21, 32 are arranged outwardly of and depend below the arms 28,33 respectively. The arms El, 32, 28 and 33 have openings in their upperends for the passage of the shaft 23. The opening, with respect to anarm 21 or 32, is indicated at 32" (Figure 5). The opening, with respectto an arm 28 or 33, is indicated at 33 (Figure 5). The arms 27, 32 alignwith each other and are of like form and length. The arms 28, 33 alignwith each other and are of like form and length. Journaled in theforward ends of face being cleaned and extends into the open ing it.ceptable 5. Each end of shaft 31 carries a vertically disposed sprocketpinion 3.9. Journaled in the forward end of the arms 28, 33 is arotatable brush shaft 38 to which is fixed a brush 4! which travels uponthe surface being cleaned and ex.-

carries a vertically disposed sprocket pinion 42. The brush 3! is ofgreater diameter than and is arranged. forward of brush 38. i! aredriven through the medium of a pair of "endless upstanding sprocketchains 63, each having its lower stretch engaging with the top of asprocket pinion 39 and its forward stretch travelling around the forwardside of a sprocket pinion 42. Each chain 43 is operated from a sprocketgear or wheel 26, which, when the sweeper is moved over the surfacebeing cleaned, will be rotated from the axle 23 and drive chain 43.

The springs ill, 36 maintain the sprocket pinions 33 in interengagementwith the lower stretch of the chains 43 due to the upward pulling actionof the springs on the shaft 31. The brushes 33, 4! travel in thedirection of the arrows M, 45 respectively, and are in contact with eachother. The brushes are geared up with a speed ratio to turn faster thanthe travel of the sweeper when the latter is pushed over a lawn or othersurface. The brush 3! is rotated anti-clockwise'and the brush 38clockwise and as the two brushes contact with each other during theiroperation, the leaves or cut grass are swept against each other andupward whereby the sweepings are carried up between the brushes and intothe receptacle 5.

Connected to the bottom 6 is a transversely extending stationary brush45 for retaining the sweepings in the receptacle.

The bars 23 sustainthe receptacle 5 relative to axle 23 and permit thereceptacle to sway forwardly and downwardly with the arms 2i, 23, 32,and 33 as the brushes become smaller due to the wear thereof. Theaforesaid arms maintain the brushes constantly upon the surface which isbeing cleaned. =When completely worn out the The latter constitutes theintake for ,.re-

Each end of shaft 40 The brushes 3B,

brushes may be readily disconnected and nonworn ones substituted.

What I claim is:

1. In a mobile sweeper, a collecting receptacle formed with an intakeopening arranged at the lower portion of its front and at the forwardportion of its bottom, an axle extending transverse-, ly through saidreceptacle, supporting means for the axle secured to the sides of thereceptacle, 9. pair of wheels carried by said axle exteriorly of thesides of said receptacle, a pair of forwardly extending downwardlyinclined arms mounted at their upper ends on said axle between one sideof the receptacle and one of said wheels, a second pair of forwardlyextending downwardly inclined arms mounted at their upper ends on saidaxle between the other side of the receptacle and the other of saidwheels, one of the arms of each pair being of greater length than theother and conneoted to the receptacle, shafts journaled in the lowerends of said arms outwardly adjacent said intake opening and provided attheir ends with pinions, brushes carried by the shafts and extendingthrough said intake opening into the receptacle, a pair of drivesoperated from said wheels and coacting with said pinions for drivsilientconnection between the arm of each pair" for maintaining the pinions onthe shaft mounted in the arms of smallest length in engagement with saiddrives.

2. In a mobile sweeper, a collecting receptacle includinga top, a pairof sides, a front, a bottom and an open back, a closure for said openback hinged to the rear end of said bottom, the lower end portion of thefront and the forward end portion of the bottom being cut away to forman intake opening, an axle extending transversely of and projecting fromthe sides of said receptacle, wheels on the axle provided on their outersides with sprocket wheels, two pairs of forwardly extending downwardlyinclined arms, each pair of arms being mounted on said axle between awheel and a side of said receptacle, the arms of each pair extendingforwardly beyond said intake, one of the arms of each pair being ofgreater length than the other arm, means for connecting the longest armof each pair to a side of the receptacle, a brush shaft mounted in theforward ends of the arms of greater length, a brush shaft mounted in theforward ends of the arms of shorter length, said brush shafts providedwith pinions at the ends thereof, endless chains operated from saidsprocket wheels and engaging with said pinions for revolving said brushshafts in opposite directions, brushes fixed to said shafts andextending through said intake into said receptacle, and means forresiliently connecting a short arm to a long arm for maintaining thepinions on the shaft mounted in the arms of shortest length inengagement with said endless chains.

GEORGE B. RANDOLPH.

